You wouldn't go into a job interview without preparation, right? Do the same for your sales call. Treat your sales calls like job interviews. View the account as a position that you're applying for and as such, you must persuade the personnel representative (prospect) that your product is the best applicant in the hiring pool.
First Step: What's your objective?
Before you arrive for a job interview, you know your objective. Now, the obvious objective is to get the job, but on our resumes we are a little more delicate. We focus on how our objective will benefit our prospective employer. For example, resumes don't state that the objective is "To get a job to pay my bills." Instead they say, "To utilize and further enhance my selling skills." The same applies to the sales call. While your objective is to close the sale, that doesn't benefit your prospect. An objective that is focused on the prospect's needs, such as "To help you maximize your time, increase your sales, and reduce your risk" is more appropriate.
Second Step: Are you prepared?
Any applicant worth his/her salt researches the company before the interview. Doing the same for a sales call shows the prospect you're interested in their business. It also helps you determine their needs.
Third Step: Will there be any surprises?
Before an interview, applicants can anticipate the standard interview questions and have thoughtful answers prepared. Do the same for your prospecting call. For example:
"Why should I hire you?" (Why should I purchase your product?)
An interviewer is looking for someone who can do the job, and do it well. They want someone with experience and skills. The same applies for sales. You must be able to show how your product can meet the needs of the company, and offer added benefits.
"What are your strengths?" (What does your product do well?)
If an applicant doesn't know his/her strengths, how can he expect the hiring company to find him valuable? Knowing what your product does well and articulating this to the prospect is vital.
"What are you weaknesses" (What don't people like about your service?)
Applicants don't rattle off, "I'm picky and like to pawn my work off on others." Instead, you take those attributes and turn them into positives, such as "I'm detail-oriented and like to work in groups." Do the same with your product. For example, if some people feel your terminal takes too long to print reports and has a large footprint you might say, "Our terminal prints extremely detailed reports. Also, our keys are larger so the consumer can see them better."
Fourth Step: Did you get the job?
If an applicant is offered the job, great! But what if a hiring decision isn't made that day? You send a follow-up thank you letter. Sales pros who do the same are telling the prospect that they are a professional who seriously wants their business.
So, brush up on your interviewing skills. You may not need a new job but you can always use new sales!
